Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Substitute, I Summon the Spirit
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"I... will absolutely not forgive you!"
Sarutobi Sasuke spoke with deep hatred, his eyes brimming with undisguised killing intent.
With a "bang," the scroll emitted white smoke. He hoisted a massive Fūma Shuriken and hurled it towards Kamihane, then swiftly formed hand seals.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The smoke exploded continuously, and a dense swarm of Fūma Shuriken surrounded Kamihane, sealing off all his escape routes.
Kamihane, expressionless, swung his scythe. Cold flashes of light formed an impenetrable defensive net, sparks flying incessantly. The incoming Fūma Shuriken were all dismembered, reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
But it didn't end there. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the scythe surged against the current, slashing towards Sarutobi Sasuke!
Sarutobi Sasuke hastily retreated. With a "whoosh," the blade extended a foot-long, cicada-wing-thin light edge!
"What?!" His pupils contracted sharply. Caught off guard, the kunai he used to block was severed in two, and his cheek was slashed.
Kamihane retracted the scythe, deftly twirling it in a flourish, shaking off the blood from the blade.
"Tsk, didn't Lord Tobirama share intel with you?" He feigned confusion. "This move is called 'Leaf on Autumn Dew.' Strange, he's seen it before."
His answer was a surging fire dragon!
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Kamihane's lips curled into a smirk. His body swayed, leaving behind an afterimage as he effortlessly dodged the fire dragon. Amidst the swaying rain, a dozen figures appeared outside the encirclement.
Each was an exact replica of Kamihane, each wielding a scythe. A dozen black-haired youths had now encircled the Konoha shinobi.
A dozen scythes danced in unison, icy-blue edges rippling through the air.
Except for Sarutobi Sasuke, the other four were thrown into chaos, frantically fighting against the dozen Kamihanes. Blades clashed, ninjutsu rained down, but when they struck, they found only illusions!
The real Kamihane—they hadn't even touched his sleeve.
Just then, a sudden change occurred. Two Kamihanes simultaneously plunged their scythes into the chests of two Konoha shinobi. Blood sprayed as their bodies were bisected mid-air.
Finally, all the figures merged into one, leaving only Kamihane standing in the same spot.
"Water Release: Water Fang Blade!"
With one hand forming a seal, he used the scythe as a conduit. Water compressed into a thin blade along the edge, and with a "swish," it slashed forward!
The water blade shot out at extreme speed, nearly invisible in the heavy rain. Sarutobi Sasuke only noticed a slight distortion in the rain curtain before realizing the danger. He yanked his companion's shoulder a split second too late.
The crescent-shaped water blade flashed through the air, instantly painting a pinkish bloodline.
Sarutobi Sasuke stared blankly at the severed arm in his hand. His companion had been cleaved in two by this technique, organs spilling out, the water beneath their feet now a pool of crimson.
"AAAAAHHH!"
He charged madly towards Kamihane, flinging countless shuriken.
But playing shuriken in front of an Uchiha was like wielding a broadsword in front of Guan Yu. Kamihane didn't even bother to look, deflecting all the shuriken by sound alone. However, Sarutobi Sasuke seized the moment to close the distance.
The Sarutobi clan's taijutsu was formidable. Kamihane couldn't immediately subdue him. Feigning an opening, Sarutobi took the bait. A sharp slash cut through the midline, and with a "squelch," Kamihane's right arm was severed at the shoulder, the scythe clattering to the ground.
Kamihane's finger twitched slightly. In the rain, dozens of nearly invisible threads shot out, instantly binding Sarutobi Sasuke's body.
"Autumn Dew!"
Kamihane's left hand flicked with extreme speed, and a thin chakra blade emerged from his palm, delivering a lethal strike to the throat!
"Bang!"
As the smoke dissipated, the figure of Sarutobi Sasuke before him had transformed into a wooden log.
"Substitution technique?" Kamihane's reaction was equally swift. The moment the smoke appeared, he used the blood on his right arm to form a single-handed seal and pressed it to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!!"
Dark-colored seals spread out, accompanied by a surge of chakra. A giant cat emerged from the billowing smoke, causing the ground to shatter instantly. A male figure was sent flying far away by the shockwave.
Sarutobi Sasuke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with solemnity as he gazed at the suddenly appearing giant cat. "Bakeneko?"
Bakeneko—Bochi, a legendary spirit cat, was the only ninja cat in the Cat House with an enormous size. According to the intelligence of the Uchiha clan, Bochi had an exceptionally long lifespan and had long since developed extraordinary intelligence, even mastering the legendary "Sage Art." It was a divine beast that had not formed a contract with anyone for centuries.
Yet now, it had been summoned so casually, appearing right before his eyes!
The Bakeneko's body was a deep blue, with a pair of large, bronze vertical pupils. Its beautiful fur was dreamlike, constantly shifting patterns, and it was surrounded by an ethereal black mist, both eerie and hazy.
Kamihane stood atop the cat's head, looking down at Sarutobi Sasuke from afar, stroking his chin with his remaining left hand.
"I underestimated you. I didn't expect Konoha to have such a troublesome figure besides Tobirama."
"Meow~" The giant cat Bochi spoke in human language, "Three million."
"Deal!" Kamihane's face flashed with a hint of concealed pain. He pointed at Sarutobi Sasuke, "Kill him for me."
Bochi's eyes rolled, revealing a human-like shrewdness, "You'll have to add more."
"How much more?"
"Two million."
"Forget it, then just restrain him. Don't let him interfere with me." Kamihane chose to compromise.
"Five hundred thousand."
"Deal!" Kamihane nodded firmly.
He flipped down, and the giant cat simultaneously stepped forward, charging toward the distant Sarutobi Sasuke.
"Don't underestimate me!" Sarutobi Sasuke's eyes widened, and his hands flashed as he pressed them to the ground, "Summoning Jutsu! Appear! Monkey King Enma!"
A white line extended across the water's surface, and in an instant, a cloud of white smoke erupted. A giant monkey broke through the smoke, engaging in a fierce battle with Bochi.
Sarutobi Sasuke glanced at Kamihane, preparing to give chase, but the Bakeneko Bochi suddenly took a deep breath, its body floating lightly into the air, blocking both him and Enma.
"Don't even think about escaping," Bochi said.
"Then let me witness the legendary power of the Bakeneko!"
Sarutobi Sasuke raised his hand high, "Enma, Adamantine Staff!"
"Transform!" Enma shouted, and in a thick cloud of white smoke, it morphed into a staff, landing in Sarutobi Sasuke's hand.
He swung the staff horizontally, and the Adamantine Staff thickened in mid-air, "Puff!" It struck Bochi's round belly, turning it into dust.
"What?" Sasuke was momentarily stunned. The sensation was strange, as if he had hit a balloon.
Bochi let out a "meow," and its entire body exploded into a deep blue mist, leaving only its cat head floating in the air, condensed but not dispersing. It stirred up a dark tornado, trapping the unprepared Sarutobi Sasuke in place.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Bochi's cat head floated weightlessly in the air, and from within the smoke, the sound of blunt strikes could be heard continuously. Yet, it let out a contented purr, its expression looking quite punchable.
Kamihane smiled leisurely, the patterns in his pupils shifting. The moment the Mangekyō pattern appeared, his right arm was restored to its original state.
Suddenly, his expression slightly changed as he sensed a familiar yet unfamiliar soul in his perception.
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